MID-BATTLE: SAIGO VS. BAAL
"My soldiers are already past you. And you were so consumed by fighting me that you didn't even bother to pay attention to your surroundings. How are you people supposed to survive when even the strongest among you is this careless?"
Baal's expression twisted with a mixture of disgust and excitement.
"You're destined to lose whenever you stand against me. No matter what foolish tricks or ancient magic you use, you cannot defeat something you cannot even touch."
Saigo tightened his grip around his Katana.
He didn't care about anything happening around him anymore. His anger had taken complete control, leaving him with only one purpose: to defeat the enemy standing before him.
His magic was considerably weaker than Baal's in his current state. Yet, despite knowing the difference in their strength, Saigo was still willing to fight until his last breath for his lord.
Baal looked at him with amusement.
"I admire your loyalty and determination. Truly, I do. But I have no time to waste playing with you. Even toys these days can be entertaining to play with, but you…"
He paused, examining Saigo with contempt.
"You're simply miserable. What a pity. Perhaps I should put you out of your misery right now."
His mockery only grew more vicious.
Saigo suddenly launched himself towards Baal, unleashing his fierce magic as he charged head-on.
He struck the air with his blade, slicing through the very space before him. In an instant, his figure disappeared into the void.
Before Baal could even comprehend what had happened, Saigo reappeared behind him.
For the first time since their battle began, Saigo had created an opening.
His magical blades struck from the front while Saigo himself attacked from behind, leaving Baal momentarily caught off guard.
Saigo's Katana swept towards Baal's head.
Baal barely managed to evade the strike. A few strands of his hair were sliced away as he simultaneously blocked the incoming magical blades.
For a brief moment, everything changed.
In an entire millennium, no one had managed to land a strike on Baal.
No one since Saigo himself had done so during the Great War.
Baal's expression shifted as he processed the absurdity of what had just happened.
Anger and fear began to overwhelm him. The memories of the Great War, when Saigo had carved that fear into him, resurfaced.
He wasn't willing to take any chances against his greatest enemy again.
Baal let out a furious roar in his demonic voice, unleashing an overwhelming presence that seemed to drag everything around him into despair.
A faint giggle appeared on Saigo's face.
"Is this toy fun for you now?"
That single remark was enough.
Baal decided to unleash his full power against the very opponent he had previously dismissed as nothing more than a toy.
He swung his fists towards Saigo repeatedly, each strike carrying devastating force.
But none of them landed at first.
His eyes gradually began turning red, resembling bloodlust itself.
Saigo could barely keep up with the relentless assault. He desperately tried to move backwards, taking a few steps to create distance and regain his momentum.
But Baal wasn't going to let him.
He caught Saigo by the leg and violently pulled him forward before smashing his head with his bare hands and driving him into the ground.
Saigo was left completely disarmed.
To make matters worse, he lost his grip on his Katana.
A smile slowly returned to Baal's face as he looked down at Saigo.
He began enjoying himself again, savouring every moment as he watched his opponent struggle and gradually lose consciousness.
Once again, Saigo was forced to confront the bitter reality of just how weak he was in his current state.
Baal leaned towards him and began mocking him once more.
"Weren't you supposed to stop me and protect that little human of yours? What's the matter? Have you lost your will to fight? Or have I broken this toy beyond repair?"
He continued punching Saigo relentlessly, each blow leaving him in a worse condition than before.
Because of the enormous distance and the weakened connection to his lord, Crish, Saigo couldn't regenerate quickly enough to withstand Baal's continuous attacks.
His body was failing him.
Saigo knew there was no way out anymore.
With what little consciousness remained, he could only whisper:
"I am sorry, my lord. I couldn't win."
Those were his final words before losing consciousness.
Baal continued punching him even after he had become completely unresponsive.
He struck with such brutality that Saigo's head was eventually destroyed, leaving behind nothing but blood and dust.
Finally, Baal stood up as though nothing had happened.
He casually adjusted his hair with his bloodstained hands and began walking towards the castle.
Meanwhile, the commanders of both sides were still engaged in their respective battles.
SOMEWHERE IN SPACE
Crish heard the words.
I am sorry, my lord.
He immediately understood what had happened.
For a moment, he was left speechless.
The thought of something happening to Tsukiko terrified him. He couldn't afford to waste another second.
"Yuka! Go beyond your limits! Reach there as fast as you possibly can!"
Yuka immediately understood the desperation in her lord's voice.
Without exchanging another word, she pushed herself beyond her usual limits and accelerated towards their destination.
She finally began to understand just how important this woman, Tsukiko, was to the current successor.
And on the other hand…
THE CASTLE
Baal approached the room where Tsukiko was staying.
Unaware of the exact situation unfolding around her, Tsukiko was peacefully sleeping inside her room. The protective magic surrounding it had concealed her from evil, keeping her undisturbed throughout the battle.
But that protection was no longer holding.
As the magic surrounding her room began to dissipate following Saigo's defeat, the distant sounds of clashing weapons and powerful explosions gradually reached her ears.
Then came a knock.
A man's unfamiliar voice followed.
"Good morning, princess. Time to cry."
Tsukiko immediately opened her eyes and moved into a defensive position.
Before she could properly understand what was happening, the door opened.
A figure she had never seen before stood before her.
Baal casually introduced himself.
"I'm Baal, the right-hand man of Lucifer, the Devil himself. It's a pleasure to meet you."
He was about to continue speaking when Tsukiko interrupted him.
"How did you get here? Where are the others? And where is Saigo?"
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The surroundings grew colder, and the room seemed to darken as Baal's expression shifted.
"Didn't they teach you royals some manners? You're not supposed to interrupt when someone important is speaking."
A chill ran down Tsukiko's spine.
Baal slowly approached the princess, wearing an uncertain yet sinister smile.
"You seem to have great potential as a fighter. So why are you afraid of me? Have you never fought before?"
He examined her magical presence.
"The magic you possess is far greater than anything I've ever seen in a human. You must have been blessed by those filthy gods of yours."
He paused before continuing.
"Don't be frightened. I'm only here to take you on a little trip. You'll get to meet your lover boy there."
Baal burst into laughter.
Tsukiko, visibly frightened, stepped back.
"Don't you dare touch me! Crish will kill all of you! If anything happens to me, that will be the end of you!"
Baal tilted his head slightly.
"But he's not here, is he?"
He gave her a mocking smile.
"What are you talking about, dear princess? Still dreaming?"
Overwhelmed by fear and desperate to survive, Tsukiko instinctively unleashed her magic against him.
The sudden attack caught Baal's attention, but he effortlessly evaded it.
His expression darkened.
"Didn't you hear me?"
His voice grew colder.
"Be a good girl. Now, let's go for a long walk."
Baal extended his control over Tsukiko's mind.
It was his greatest power: the ability to control the will of any being that feared him.
That was how devils fought.
Not through strength alone, but through superiority, fear and filthy tricks.
Tsukiko struggled against his control, desperately attempting to resist.
But her strength was no longer enough.
Her eyes slowly rolled backwards, and within seconds, she lost consciousness.
Baal laughed as he watched her struggle to escape his control.
Once he had completely taken over her will, he issued his command.
"Now, go destroy the kingdom you love so much."
Tsukiko slowly turned towards the window.
Without hesitation, she flew into the sky.
THE ABDUCTION
Meanwhile, Crish was finally able to establish a connection with Saigo.
Saigo gradually began regaining consciousness as his body started regenerating.
But the moment he opened his eyes, he witnessed something horrifying.
Tsukiko was floating high above the kingdom.
A massive golden sphere of magic began forming in her hands, growing larger until it threatened to engulf the entire kingdom.
The sheer magnitude of the power she possessed left both Saigo and Baal astonished.
Even Baal seemed taken aback by the enormous magical potential of the princess.
He soon burst into laughter.
Moving behind Tsukiko, Baal summoned every one of his men.
A portal opened before them, preparing to transport them back to their own territory.
Before leaving with Tsukiko, Baal looked towards the battlefield and spoke.
"Consider this a warning. I want to see how your lord reacts when he discovers that his precious woman has been abducted."
He laughed.
"Let's end things here for today."
Saigo immediately launched himself towards Tsukiko, desperately attempting to reach her before it was too late.
But he was already too late.
The moment he reached her, Baal and his men disappeared through the portal along with Tsukiko.
There were no traces left behind.
Saigo stood there, unable to do anything.
Once again, he had lost someone he was supposed to protect.
And this time, he had experienced the unbearable feeling of being defeated twice in a single battle.
TO BE CONTINUED…